Thunder 116, Wolves 103: The Day After Report

Box Score | Play-by-Play

Nuggets & Notes

• Let's start with that ugly first half of offensive basketball (pun intended). In the first quarter, the Thunder was just 8-of-27 from the field (30%) en route to just 23 first quarter points. The Timberwolves weren't much better (36%), which led to a low-scoring first 12 minutes of basketball.
• OKC's putrid start wasn't from a lack of effort. The team was aggressive defensively as the Thunder forced 7 first quarter turnovers. Isaiah Hartenstein returned, and his impact was felt immediately with 3 quick offensive rebounds.
• Thanks to Hartenstein's return, the Thunder's rebounding looked completely different. OKC had been struggling on the glass, but the champs kept the Wolves off the offensive glass.
• Like Ajay Mitchell who came back from his absence with a vengeance, Hart did so as well. Not scoring, but just overall impact. Down to Dunk podcast host Andrew Schlecht said it very well after the game:

• Not only was Isaiah a rebounding monster, but his screening and passing is just second to none. Name another player that can simultaneously screen and pass a player open like Hart can. You can't.
• Hartenstein and Isaiah Joe have developed a really great chemistry, but yesterday afternoon we got to see Hart can create open shots for Jared McCain as well.
• I'm going to say it's not a coincidence that Hartenstein returned and then Jared McCain had his best flamethrowing night from deep (5-of-9 overall).
• So back to bad offense: A rough first quarter extended into a tough second quarter as OKC managed just 24 points on 35% shooting in the second, which led to a 53-47 halftime deficit.
• Now, that second half? Let's just say it was much better. OKC outscored the Wolves 69-50 in the second half, culminating in a comfortable, double-digit win.
• While the shooting was very cold-then-not-as-cold, the defense was consistently excellent throughout the night. The Thunder simply harassed the Wolves, forcing 25 turnovers (16 steals), leading to 29 points off turnovers.
• On the other hand, Oklahoma City had just 7 turnovers.
• Chet was excellent. Holmgren scored 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting along with 9 rebounds, 3 steals, and a block. His play translated to a team-leading +23 (tied with Joe).
• The bench core of McCain, Joe, and Alex Caruso lit up the Wolves. Those three combined for 52 points and 10 of OKC's 15 three pointers.
• If you look at Reddit, 76er fans (and fans of other teams generally) are losing it over OKC's pickup of Jared McCain. And I love it.
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had his worst offensive night of the season. SGA struggled to get shots to drop all night, finishing 7-of-22 from the field. Going into the fourth quarter, Shai had just 10 points and when he checked in with 5:24 to go, the 20+ scoring streak was in real jeopardy after setting the record.
• But Shai is Shai, and he hit 20 points exactly because of course he did. The way he got it was especially sweet. After not getting a foul call to end the first half (he was fouled, btw), Anthony Edwards committed the exact same foul, and this team the refs called it. SGA made the bucket, got the and-1, and the streak continued.
• I think it was Doris Burke who said that SGA was having his worst game of the season, but that's completely unfair. While the MVP struggled offensively, he's more than just a scorer. SGA had 10 assists, 2 steals, and a block. That block was something special as well. Shai rose up to reject Rudy Gobert at the rim, which led to a break.
• Cason Wallace hasn't been able to score as well as he was doing when SGA was out injured, but Wallace's presence is still felt even if he isn't scoring. Against the Wolves, Caso had 7 assists, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks, and zero turnovers.
• Julius Randle did his best to keep Minnesota competitive with 32 points and 6 assists, but Minny could not overcome rough nights from Ant and Gobert.
• Edwards finished with 19 points on 6-of-17 shooting and 6 turnovers (yikes!).
• Call it the Chris Finch effect, but the officiating was odd. As I mentioned, SGA got visibly upset after a bad no-call near the end of the first half. Later, as Chet was going up to flush a lob, he was fouled on his way up. Confusingly, the refs called it on the floor. In another moment, Jaylin Williams was assessed a blocking foul on Gobert when Rudy didn't even have possession of the ball. Idk, man.

One Key Takeaway

There are 14 games go to go, and OKC continues to nurse a precarious lead over the San Antonio Spurs for the top seed in the Western Conference. Thanks to an 8-game winning streak, the lead stands at 3.5 games.

The Thunder has one of the league's most challenging final stretches, so every win matters in the team's chase of a third-straight top seed. Wins against quality opponents are even more consequential.

With Jalen Williams hopefully set to return soon, OKC's mission is clear: get and stay healthy, stack wins, and dial in to play its best basketball of the year going into the playoffs.